The proposals stemmed from his 2011 State of the Union address, when he lamented the disparate nature of the federal bureaucracy and joked that at least two departments — Commerce and Interior — share responsibility for salmon.

The joke was part of a 15-sentence screed on government reorganization. This year, the topic earned just three sentences:

“The executive branch also needs to change,” Obama said. “Too often, it’s inefficient, outdated and remote. That’s why I’ve asked this Congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy so that our government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the American people.”

If presidential priorities are measured in sentences and word count, Obama’s reorganization plans won’t earn a strong push this year. And the fate of salmon will remain a multi-jurisdictional affair.

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